Can't Help Falling In Love
by dearlyse
Summary: Mr. Schuester thought it'd be a good idea to pair up Rachel Berry and Quinn Fabray for an experimental duet. If only he had known it'd bring back feelings, memories, and change everything between them.
1. Chapter 1

The Glee club of McKinley High meets whether it rains or shines. There is no excuse for missing a meeting. Today, Ohio had lovely weather and when the clock struck 3:00, everyone walked in, but it wasn't until Mr. Schuester joined them that the students quieted down and took their seats. Rachel Berry, a brunette star-in-the-making, was always in the front row. It didn't matter who she had to sit next to. She needed to be in a spot where she could hear and see everything and where everyone could hear her. On the other side of the room, all the way in the back, sat Quinn Fabray. The blonde cheerleader. The girlfriend of a football player. At first, she had no interest in Glee club. In fact she only joined to make sure that the aforementioned Rachel Berry stayed away from her man, the awkwardly tall Finn Hudson. Oh, and also because her cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester told her to help destroy the club. But if anyone asks, it isn't true.

"This week, I have a special assignment for you guys. So I will be picking your partners and your songs. And I hope you can all take it seriously," said the glee club leader and Spanish teacher, Mr. Schuester. He looked at the already hesitant Noah Puckerman, another football player, and continued "or just do the best you can with it."

"Mr. Schuester?" said Rachel Berry. "I'm fully prepared for whatever you choose for me. As you know, I have been singing ever since before I could speak and I can handle just about anything you throw at me." Mr. Schuester looked at her and smiled, and quickly resumed, while some of the other students rolled their eyes.

"This week we will be working on getting out of our comfort zone and trying something new. Something we've never tried before and you'll sing with someone you've probably haven't spoken to since third grade. Now I know this might sound hard, but it won't be. And if any of the pairings I've chosen have a _**legitimate**_ reason for why you can't work together... we can sort it out. But try to keep an open mind to experimentation!"

"Mr. Schue?" This Noah Puckerman was not afraid to take chances, but he wasn't exactly the most enthusiastic singer in the group either. "Do allergies count? Like an allergy to plaid?" His question was ignored and Mr. Schuester sat in the front of the room, by the big black thing most know as a piano. He held a folder, exploding with sheet music, and he had a list of the students' names in front of him.

"Alright, first up... Finn Hudson... you are gonna sing with... Mercedes Jones." Finn had a blank look on his face and his eyes grew twice the size, while Mercedes looked unimpressed. "And this will be the song you're doing." He handed them both a few stapled papers and moved on to the next pairing. He looked at Rachel Berry, who was anxious to get her partner and song, and with the biggest smile on her face, she convinced Mr. Schuester that she could, indeed, handle just about anything he threw at her. But he wanted to give her a challenge. He wanted to surprise her with a song she had probably never tried before. But who could challenge her? Who in this island of misfits could possible challenge the most talented kid in the group? He looked around the room at impatient faces. Kurt Hummel looked just as anxious as he waited for his assignment. Putting them together would cause too much problems, because they were both two strong forces that wouldn't complement each other, but instead would try to destroy each other. There were the two cheerleaders, Brittany and Santana. But he didn't think it a good idea to separate them, though a cheerleader would be a good partner for Rachel. The only other cheerleader in the room was Quinn Fabray. The blonde sitting in the back, staring out into space and curling her hair on her finger.

"Rachel..." he began, but then took two seconds to think. This pairing could actually be quite good together. Rachel could motivate Quinn to take Glee club more seriously, and Quinn could bring Rachel back down to reality a bit. "Rachel, you're gonna be working with Quinn." Rachel had a little hope she would paired with this girl's boyfriend. Maybe then Finn would know she was even alive. Neither of the girls really understood Mr. Schuester's decision. Quinn said she wouldn't be able to keep up with Rachel, and Rachel thought it was because Quinn wouldn't care to try hard enough.

"Girls, I don't wanna hear it! You're gonna sign the song, and next week you can go back to being scared of taking risks." He looked almost disgusted, disappointed. Rachel looked at Quinn, and almost smiled, hoping that Quinn would understand Mr. Schuester's point too. Quinn only looked a bit scared. Rachel looked down at her plaid skirt, and jumped a little when Mr. Schue dropped the short piece of music on her lap. She looked up at Mr. Schue and let out a sigh of relief. Sure it was a song for a low male voice, but she could definitely handle Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling in Love". It might even be too easy for her. She looked up at Quinn again, who was scratching her head with a confused look on her face. She bit her lip, and hoped for the best.

After all the partners were picked and all the songs were passed out, it was time for the kids to leave. Rachel walked to her locker and while getting ready to go home, Quinn Fabray stopped her, and looked her up and down as she quickly spoke.

"Okay, Berry, while I do believe that Mr. Schuester's decision is just as catastrophic as your outfit," she looked up, "it's best if we get this over and done with as soon as possible so I can go back to having my life." Rachel watched Quinn's lips, and agreed, as she loved working on her solos. "So, I will come to your house every day this week after cheerleading practice, we'll practice the song where no one can see us, and that'll be that. Cool?"

"You know Quinn, if you only put effort into-" Rachel began but Quinn interrupted her ever so rudely. "Not interested! I'll see you later." Rachel sighed but walked home with her head held high, knowing this was just a little bump on the road and it would not affect her career in the future, so it didn't bother her. But as always, she would give 100% to every performance and she would eventually be under the spotlight on Broadway...


	2. Chapter 2

When the whistle blew, it startled Quinn's fellow cheerleader and blonde, Brittany S. Pierce (who was conveniently at the bottom of the pyramid) and caused a chain reaction as the girls all fell to the floor.

"Embarrassing! Get out of here!" Coach Sylvester screamed through a megaphone. The cheerleaders groaned, but they were also kind of proud of themselves. Last week they had been 'disgusting'. 'Embarrassing' was definitely an improvement. Quinn didn't pay attention to her coach's insults because she was too busy trying to remember the way to Rachel's house. She walked into the locker room, imagining the street under her feet, and she could almost see the white house straight ahead, right in front of her. She changed into a pair of tight jeans she had bought the day before, and a pink tank top with white lace that ran along the bottom hemline and slipped on her white sneakers. She waved goodbye to the girls and her comfort zone as she began to walk to Rachel's house.

This situation was almost too weird for Quinn. She couldn't believe it was really happening. She was giving up an evening she could spend trying on new clothes, to sing with Miss Manhands. But if Mr. Schuester wanted to challenge them, she was not gonna humiliate herself by doing a horrible job. That would only lead to humiliation, a desire to quit, and disappointing Finn, who would probably then leave her. She swallowed her pride and crossed the bridge over to the house of the biggest nerd in the school. Once she reached the house of Berry, she stopped and stared at it as if it was a monster from her past. She took a deep breath and walked up to ring the doorbell.

"Well, hello there!" Mr. Berry (the one who _can_ cook) greeted her at the door. "My, how you've grown!" He threw his arms around her and suddenly Quinn's nose was filled with familiar scents. She then walked upstairs to meet Rachel, and things were a bit blurry. When she opened the door, something urged her to sit on the floor and look for the nearest Barbie doll, but when she looked up, there sat a teenaged Rachel Berry. Her bed sheets didn't have unicorns on them anymore, and she looked surprised to see her.

"Quinn! You finally made it! I've made some very good notes to the music Mr. Schue gave us, and I think you'll agree!" Rachel sat on her bed looking down at the music sheet and taking notes on where she would take a breath. Quinn ignored her and as she threw her stuff on the floor, she quickly ran to shut the blinds so no one would see her there and sat in front of Rachel as she handed her the music sheet with her notes on it.

"What language is this?" Quinn quickly noticed all the doodles Rachel had added to the music, it was almost impossible to understand.

"They're my notes, Quinn." Rachel blushed and looked down at her pink sheets, almost embarrassed about caring too much for Glee club. Quinn Fabray was at her house, in her room. It had been way too long... She stood up, and with her back turned to the blonde, she continued, "I will begin and then you can sing the words after me, okay? You'll learn from the best."

"Fine, whatever, let's just do this." She lowered the volume of her voice and continued, almost whispering to the air, " I can't believe I am doing this sober. What I would give for a drink right now..." Quinn flipped through the stapled papers and decided to just do whatever Rachel tells her so she could get out of there as soon as possible.

Rachel, being the kind of girl she is, who wants to please everyone, took Quinn's comment literally, and whispered back, "I can get you something?" She remembered the all the pink drinks she kept hidden from her parents. They were for whenever Rachel felt like dressing up and practicing her award acceptance speeches. Quinn looked at her with impatience, and Rachel got the drinks out fast, and poured some for Quinn, who instead took the bottle and chugged it. Rachel looked at her kind of puzzled, but then decided, _'hey, whatever gets the job done'..._

"Okay, Quinn, see here's the thing about singing. It's half-acting and half-vocal skills. You need to not only sing the song... you need to feel the words, and perform them. You have to show the audience how you feel." She sat next to Quinn. "See? This song... Elvis is singing about being in love... with someone he isn't sure he should be. But, it's a beautiful song, because..." Rachel got up, and looked straight at Quinn, "love is beautiful no matter what. He doesn't care what people would say... He loves her too much." She paused. "So, let's give this a try. Stand up."

"God you talk a lot..." Quinn mumbled as she put the empty bottle down and stood up. "I'm up! Now what?"

"Now, you sing to me. Like I was the love of your life..." Quinn decided to be uncooperative and stood completely still with a blank look on her face.

"Here, let me show you." She put the papers down. She already knew the words. Rachel imagined the love of her life in Quinn's place. The quarterback. Finn. She imagined him standing in front of her, so she took Quinn's hand and began singing. "_Wise men say only fools rush in. But I can't help falling in love with you..."_ She had gotten a lot closer to the cheerleader, and was now holding both of her hands. Quinn stared into her eyes, also pretending Rachel was Finn. They were two girls lost in the same fantasy.

"_Shall I stay?_" Quinn sang the next line. "_Would it be a sin... if I can't help falling in love with you._"

Suddenly, the girls let go off each other, and it began to rain outside. Quinn peeked through the blinds and mumbled "Great, now I have to stay even longer." Rachel sat down and sang the next line. "_Like a river flows, surely to the sea; darling, so it goes, some things are meant to be._" Quinn shrugged, and picked up the music sheet, "_Take my hand, take my whole life too.._." She took Rachel's hand, who stood up and spun, with a smile on her face, and joined Quinn as they both sang "_for I can't help falling in love with you._" Rachel tried to spin again, and because Quinn didn't think to let her hand go, the girls both fell to the floor, Rachel on top of Quinn. When they hit the floor, and entered reality again they realized they had both stopped pretending the other was Finn, and had apparently forgotten what he even looked like. Quinn laughed, half-drunk, half-completely aware of what was going on. Rachel looked straight into Quinn's eyes with the most serious look on her face... then she looked down at her lips. Quinn seemed just as curious as Rachel.. She just lay there, with this brunette on top of her. Laying in awkward silence, until Rachel hesitantly placed her hand on Quinn's waist. Quinn looked down at Rachel's hand, then back up at Rachel, and she placed hers around the brunette, holding her body close to her. Rachel whispered the last verse, almost speaking the words, and truly realizing what they meant.

"_Shall I stay... would it be a sin..._?" Quinn's eyes got bigger as she finished Rachel's sentence, "_if I can't help..."_ Or, tried to. Quinn couldn't move her lips to say the last five words, as Rachel's lips had stopped her. Rachel's lips. They tasted sweeter than Finn's ever did. They shared a slow and gentle kiss... a passionate kiss Elvis himself would've been proud to have inspired. Once it was over, they both stood up and stared at the wall in silence, but on the inside they were both exploding with confusion and curiosity.

"Okay..." Quinn broke the silence. "I should just..."  
>"No! I... If you leave..." She looked down and said softly, "We need to practice the song. We got caught up in the moment. Look it's still raining!" She pointed at the window, and then ran to lock the door. "You... You can't leave Quinn. Not until everything's perfect."<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

And then when the song was over one more time, Quinn picked her things up and left Rachel in her room alone, just like she used to. Rachel had grown up seeing her fathers kiss, and it had never occurred to her that a kiss between the same sex would be considered out of the ordinary. She understood that it was less likely to happen than a kiss between a man and woman, but neither was superior to the other. She didn't understand why people thought otherwise.

"Rachy!" Her father called to her from downstairs. "We're going to have supper soon!" Living with two gay dads was a perfect life for Rachel. Sure there were times when she could've used a mom, but a gay father was just as good... sometimes better. She couldn't believe how much thought she was putting into a simple insignificant kiss. In fact, she couldn't believe she was still thinking about it.

"We're gonna pop in a movie afterwards! Did Quinnie leave?" They smiled at each other, and seeing that made Rachel happy. Why was it such a big deal for the world now? Why did they care that she has two dads and no mothers? She took her seat, in front of David, the one who did all the cooking, which was amazing. It always was. He hadn't even taken culinary classes. She wondered that if maybe she were to tell one of them, it would probably be David. Not that Nick wouldn't understand, but she just felt like David was less dramatic when it came to her personal life. Nick was fantastic at handling all her auditions, legal papers, driving her places, and David was always there with a warm hug whenever she was rejected. She knew for a fact two people of the same sex could have a family.

"Hey... dad?" She whispered in that soft, adorable voice, without looking up at her parents.

"Yes, dear?" They answered, then looked at each other and laughed. Again, they made Rachel smile. Sure, they've fought before, like any couple ever would... but the love they felt for each other was always more important than any stupid argument they've ever had. And love always triumphed.

"It's just..." she passed the gravy boat to David, who was eager to taste it, and even more eager to hear Rachel's story. "It was kind of weird seeing Quinn again, outside of school... I mean, I know we aren't the best of friends at school. I don't hate her though. I don't know if she hates me... but it just... it got weird."

Nick listened with his eyebrows raised, while David kept his eyes down on his plate. "What do you mean, 'weird', honey?"

"Well... we were practicing a song for glee, and it was a love song, and I couldn't sing it without feeling it... so I felt it. And I think Quinn felt it too."

"Aww!" They both said. "That's so nice of you, teaching your friends to perform correctly! You're a great girl, Rachel. There's no way she could hate you! Not after everything you guys have shared together! And even if she does, you're the bigger person for putting that aside and completing your assignment. No matter what, both of us," he placed his hand on his husband's, "so proud of you. We hear you when you sing, you know. You're just as talented as Barbra." Now even if she really had told them what had happened, being compared to Barbra Streisand _always_ cheered her up. Maybe they were right though. It was just a performance.

Halfway through "Funny Girl", Rachel noticed herself still thinking about Quinn's warm body under her and her strawberry lip gloss. She had never seen Quinn perform a song with that much emotion before! She was excited to perform it in class, but she was even more excited for their last rehearsal the next day. She was mouthing the lines to every song from her favorite movie, and because she could play the rest of it in her head, she was okay with heading to bed before it ended. She kissed her parents goodnight, and walked up to her room.

The morning of the performance, Rachel Berry woke up with a smile on her face. In her dream, she had seen herself performing with Quinn in front of the whole school, and when the song was over, the room flooded with applause. Quinn had looked at Rachel and smiled, while she muttered under her breath "We did it..." She knew it was a good sign, because although it wouldn't be in front of the whole school, today the glee club would see how talented she really was. She had passed Mr. Schue's "challenge". She was performing today, not just with anyone, but with Quinn Fabray, the pretty cheerleader. The girl everyone thought was her enemy. She had gotten Quinn to take glee club seriously, and while doing her morning workout, she practiced singing her scales... ready for anything.

Quinn Fabray, on the other hand, woke up nervous. She slowly put on her cheerleading uniform, as if it would actually delay the rest of the day. She had heard Rachel Berry's voice everyday this week, singing her a love song. She didn't feel like she could sing well enough to duet with her. But if Mr. Schuester wanted to challenge her, she could not back out at the last minute. She needed to walk in that choir room with her head held high and her ponytail tightly held up, hiding nothing from no one. When she was ready, she got into her car, and drove to McKinley High.

During Math class, she sat behind her boyfriend Finn Hudson, who she wasn't sure was always 100% mentally present. He was beginning to bore her. He turned around and smiled at his girlfriend, and asked, "You ready for Glee?" Quinn bit her lip, and realized that she hadn't stopped thinking about the brunette's kiss. What was wrong with her?

"Of course I'm ready. Are you? You're the one who should be nervous, not me." She replied with a fake confidence. Finn kept smiling, and nodded like an idiot, even as he remembered his partner was powerhouse Mercedes Jones. But he knew his place. He knew what he had to do when the clock struck 3. He was ready. Too bad his blonde girlfriend couldn't say the same...

* * *

><p>SORRY I TOOK FOREVER TO UPDATE! SCHOOL'S BEEN KEEPING ME BUSY, BUT I HAVE THE NEXT CHAPTER READY! IT WILL BE UP WHEN THIS STORY GETS TO 10 REVIEWS :) TRY TO MAKE THEM AS DIFFERENT AS POSSIBLE, I WILL DEF TAKE SUGGESTIONS INTO CONSIDERATION :)<p>

x


	4. Chapter 4

_** Again, my apologies for the delay in updating! I promise this chapter is worth it! Remember to please leave some helpful reviews, so I know what you guys like and don't and make sure the next chapter is the best it can possibly be Hope you like!**_

When the bell rang at three o' clock, everyone was again in the same room they met the time their assignment was given. Everyone was talking to their partners, except for Rachel and Quinn. It felt awkward so Rachel walked over to her and said, "Okay, remember not to come in too early. When I sing "falling in love with you", we do a dramatic pause, and then you sing your line, and remember the thing I told you about not just singing but also acting, and giving a performance, remember that?" Rachel remembered it now, the kiss. She had shared a kiss with Quinn Fabray. Rachel Berry had lain on top of Quinn and kissed her. Suddenly, her smile turned into an awkward smirk, and she wasn't sure of herself anymore.

Quinn remembered it too. It was weird, but something about it felt right. Something she hadn't felt with Finn before. Something she had never felt with any of her boyfriends, ever. She returned the awkward smirk, but her head was held high and she nodded. "Yes, Berry; I know what I'm doing." She had never told a bigger lie.

Mr. Schuester walked in, and greeted the students. Then he took out his list of pairings, and decided who would go first. Noah Puckerman, or Puck as he prefers to be called, had gotten partnered up with Tina Cohen-Chang. They were opposites as well. They performed a song by Celine Dion, and they seemed completely calm, like everything was under their control. Everyone loved it. Mr. Schuester loved it. They had transformed a classic ballad into a beautiful acoustic duet. Next up was Finn and Mercedes.

"Good luck!" Quinn wanted to support her boyfriend. He looked at her and winked. She blushed, as she normally did when anyone winked at her. But Finn didn't need luck. He had Mercedes. She had taught him the song flawlessly. Finn was perfect. Sure, Mercedes sang most of the lines, and she stood in front of Finn, who sat behind her and repeated the lines after her. He was her echo, but it sounded so good! Puck got really into it, and when it was over, he yelled, "Wow, Finnessa!" The two boys shared a laugh, and then, it was Quinn and Rachel's turn. Everyone watched them as they got up in front of the room. Mr. Schuester sat with the students, completing the audience. The piano began, and then Rachel looked at Quinn and sang her lines. Quinn couldn't listen to the words Rachel was saying, because it would just bring her back to the moment they had shared. She waited, watched Rachel's lips, and then sang her part. Rachel remembered their choreography, which though simple, it helped their vocals flow with the music. Quinn grabbed Rachel's hand and swayed with the words she was singing. The song felt twice as long as when they had practiced it. But the girls just kept singing. And when it was over, Quinn let go of Rachel's hand for the final spin, and they both looked at their audience. Kurt Hummel had a confused look on his face, but Mr. Schuester spoke first, "Well, I am impressed! You girls didn't want to pair up for the song, but I'm so glad you did! That was beautiful..." Finn loved it too. He was proud of his girlfriend for taking risks. He had that same stupid smile from before on his face, but Quinn was happy to see it this time. They both took their seats, and while Kurt performed with Mike Chang, neither of the girls was paying attention, as they kept catching each other's stares. The rest of the performances were one big blur for both of them. They both knew they had some talking to do after everyone was gone. Rachel looked up at Quinn from her seat in the front. Quinn looked down at Rachel, and bit her lip once more. They made eye contact, and it wasn't awkward. It wasn't awkward because they both knew exactly what needed to be done.

Once everyone walked out of the room, Quinn Fabray stood up and stopped Rachel from leaving by pulling on her arm. Once they stood alone by the piano, she shut the door and put her books down.

"Rachel, we need to talk..." Berry nodded and sat down. "Look, I didn't think we'd ever have to talk about it. I never thought I'd find myself saying these words. But it needs to be said out loud." Rachel's eyes grew twice as big, and she stood up and turned around so she wouldn't be facing Quinn when she said it. She began to fidget with her fingers, and when Quinn said it out loud, she walked up to the piano and placed her hands on it.

"Quinn, I never planned on that happening. I just wanted everything to be perfect. It was just-"

"No, Rachel!" Quinn was beginning to get frustrated, and a tear rolled down her face at the mere thought of being alone in the way she feels. "Shut up! When I said we needed to talk, I meant you needed to listen! For once, just stop talking and listen to me!"

Rachel almost began to smile. "You think I haven't noticed you, Quinn? I've noticed you plenty. You're beautiful Quinn. I have never seen a girl as pretty as you before. I know why Finn loves you."

"You know why Finn loves me? Do _you_, Rachel?" Quinn was screaming at the brunette now.

"I do," Rachel placed her hand on her heart, as if to symbolize the honesty she was now speaking with. "I know we're supposed to be 'enemies', we're total opposites, but I know you're a good person underneath the-"

"No!" Quinn interrupted her. Her tears had now multiplied. The girl with the voice of a thousand angels just hadn't understood the question. "I meant, do you... " she whispered, "do you love me?"

Rachel was speechless. "Why are you asking me that?"

"Don't you dare, Berry!" She slowly began to raise her voice, and courage filled her body as if she was jumping off a cliff. A normal person would be screaming in fear, wondering whether they'd fall on rocks, but secretly hoping it would be a field of flowers. No, Quinn was enjoying the fall; she wasn't thinking at all. She pointed at the brunette with a violent smile on her face. "Don't you dare pretend you didn't feel anything! Don't you dare pretend you've forgotten our past!" Rachel ran to her to make her lower her voice, but her shush was interrupted by the raging blonde "How long have we known each other? Since first grade, Rachel!" She grabbed the brunette by the arms and couldn't decide whether she wanted to shake her violently or kiss her passionately. "The conversations we had under the playground slide when we were young! You... you used to tell me all your secrets! God, Rachel, we used to play house together! How could we be so blind?" She sat down, as Rachel followed her to sit next to her. Quinn spoke softly now. "You know, I always felt like the third wheel with Brittany and Santana. They wouldn't notice when I was gone. And the boys? They all looked the same to us back then. We didn't care about them. But you cared… You were the only one who understood me. We never fit in with anyone... we never did, Rachel." Quinn began to laugh as she looked up at the ceiling, remembering all the memories they used to share. Rachel sat next to her, afraid to interrupt the blonde... scared to miss her voice narrating the past. She wanted to hear it all again. Like a bedtime story. "Remember that time... the boys stole our dolls from us... and you..."

"I stood up to them. I got them all back. For you." They stared at each other in that empty room, and it was so silent, and for long enough, that they both could hear each other's hearts pounding. Beating fast and hard, powered by the same desire. Then it happened again. They knew it had to. How else could they be sure these weren't lies or delusions? Quinn felt Rachel's cherry lips on hers again. Rachel's warm hand on her lap again. Rachel's silky hair on her shoulder. Her breath on her face again...

"I think I do.." Rachel said softly, with her eyes still closed and Quinn's face in her hands. "I still do," she said to the girl who sat next to her. "And you're the only girl I've ever felt anything like this for..." With a real smile on her face, Quinn placed her head on the brunette's shoulder, where she could feel safe and free. She took Rachel's hand in hers as she saw in her head two young girls, skipping hand in hand.


End file.
